The world has lost a great tobacco grower. Alejandro Robaina, a legend in Cuba and the rest of the world, died last weekend at the age of 91. His tobacco leaves wrapped some of the finest cigars seen in his lifetime. , starting on his family's fields when he was only 10 year old, having smoked his first cigar a year earlier. Since then, his handiwork was evident in brands such as the Cohiba Esplendidos and Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona.

Robaina was something of a public face for the Cuban tobacco industry, traveling until age would no longer let him do so effectively. That's when smokers worldwide came to him, eager to see the environment – and the man –responsible for some of the most popular cigars on Earth, among others. His grandson, Hiroshi, now runs the show, having taken over as Robaina got older.

Even after Fidel Castro came to power, Robaina remained an independent tobacco grower, and he was named the best in the country by the Cuban government in the mid-1990s, receiving the award from Castro himself. In 1997, Habanos S.A. created the Vegas Robaina brand, the only one named for a Cuban tobacco grower. Yet, it smokes differently from most Cuban cigars, and doesn't appear to have much of Robaina's tobacco in it, according to James Suckling of Cigar Aficionado.

If you haven't lit up a La Aurora Serie 107 Anniversario yet, you've been missing something special. The cigar, which celebrates La Aurora's 107th year of operation in the Dominican Republic, actually caught me by surprise.

This cigar was not nearly as light as I expected it to be, bringing a lot of character and complexity. It was a bit spicy and stayed interesting from foot to ash. The medium-bodied cigar was great for me as late morning stick, but your specific timing may not be the same. The La Aurora 107 has a Sun Grown Ecuadorian wrapper and contains filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic aged more than six years.

So, you could always get one of these cigars the ol' fashioned way ... you know, buy it. Or, you could wait until April 30, 2010, when 107 cigar retailers across the United States will be giving away 107 La Aurora 107 robustos.

The latest design from bespoke cabinetmaker (and nephew of the Queen of England) Viscount David Linley is a line of elegant accessories featuring an inlaid Union Jack motif. Consisting of a humidor, jewelry box, tea caddy, cufflink box, and large and small picture frames, the exquisite and extremely British pieces pieces are finished in walnut with the flag artfully rendered in a marquetry of burr oak, burr walnut and ripple sycamore. Like Linley himself, the Union Jack boasts a royal lineage; the flag originated in 1606 after King James I of England was crowned, uniting the kingdoms of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The humidor, for about $2,000, is lined with Spanish cedar wood and has a built-in humidifier and hydrometer to preserve cigars. The jewelry box, for about $1,800, is lockable and lined in red faux suede with a compartmentalized, removable tray. The tea caddy, for about $1,000, is available in a limited edition of 25 pieces, and comes complete with a supply of Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend loose leaf tea. The cufflink box, for about $650, is lined in beige faux suede. The picture frames come in a large and small size for about $440 and $400.

[via JustLuxe]

A stunning Louis Vuitton humidor trunk capable of holding 1,000 cigars is being offered for sale by London's Pullman Gallery for $68,000. The bespoke "Malle Cigares" is based on a 1926 design known as the Stowkowski trunk. The hinged doors open to reveal a superb marquetry-inlaid removable humidor and a fully fitted interior, comprising two small drawers for cutters and accessories above a further nine humidified drawers graduating in size. All the drawers are cedar lined with divisions and drawer fronts in lacquered rosewood with leather and brass pulls. The lid of the trunk is lined with suede and the exterior is covered in Vuitton's famed monogram canvas with brass trim and side carrying handles in leather. Truly one of the world's most exclusive humidors, it took nine months to create.

[via Luxury Launches]

Nestor Miranda puts together a solid cigar. So, when I heard about the new Dominicano, I was pretty excited. With both Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco, I figured it would be a bit different from what I normally smoke from Nestor – and had a sense that the cigar would be exciting. Well, Nestor Miranda did not disappoint. Check out the video to get a feel for what the Dominicano is like.

Do keep in mind, this is a reasonably hefty cigar, just north of medium-bodied. So, if you smoke three times a year on the golf course or only at bachelor parties, save some money, and buy something you can handle. This is a great cigar for regular cigar smokers.

Disclosure: Miami Cigars provided the samples to me. But, the opinions expressed here are my own.

The effects of an end to the Cuban embargo are the subject of endless speculation in the cigar world. From smokers to company execs, it seems like everyone has an opinion on how much inventory would be available, product quality as Cuban factories rush to meet demand and how willing fans of non-Cuban brands would be to part with the sticks they have spent years enjoying.

One issue, the impact on brand ownership, doesn't get as much air time in cigar shop conversations, but it does come up – especially within the business. Eddie Ortega, the man behind the 601 line, among others, writes on his blog, "In recent years, the registered trademark owners in the USA of most Cuban brands have either been acquired or have merged with European companies who have worldwide distribution rights of most of the Cuban brands." Quite simply, the need to tangle over ownership rights may be settled already, because of European interaction with Cuba.

It's always risky to introduce a new cigar into the market. In addition to the normal new product launch challenges, there is no shortage of sticks out there today, to the point where Eddie Ortega decided not to bring anything new to shelves this year. In New York, however, the local shop where I cut and light has made space in the humidor for a new house cigar, the De La Concha Selection Premium.

This is the store's second house blend, following the Grand Reserve by Pepin Garcia, which was released in late 2003. Unlike the Nicaraguan cigar, the new blend is banded and sold in boxes (the Grand Reserve is bundled). But, that's just the beginning of the difference. The Selection Premium is a fundamentally different cigar. It's made by Davidoff, which owns De La Concha – and it tastes very much like a Davidoff product. There are some clear similarities to the Millennium, with which the Selection Premium shares a wrapper, and it is more complex than the Grand Reserve, which tends to be a tad more linear and emphasizes boldness over complexity.

On his recent trip to New York, I was able to catch up with Rocky Patel. He discusses his three newest cigars, including the recently released Patel Brothers stick (which is an enjoyable smoke). He still has a three more cigars up his sleeve for 2010, including a 15th anniversary cigar and a special edition stick. The anniversary cigar hits the streets in June, with the other two cigars being released over the summer. Watch the video for the full story from Rocky Patel himself.



Disclosure: I interviewed Rocky Patel while attending a cigar dinner as an unpaid guest of De La Concha. Even if I had not invited, I would have shown up at a minimum to interview Rocky without participating in the dinner.
[Photos by Steve Zak]

Drew Estate stands out in Esteli, Nicaragua. Eschewing many of the traditional aspects of manufacturing hand-rolled cigars that you'll find in Pepin Garcia's factory, it has a more American flair, with the conversion of construction and marketing at every point in the process. Born of the minds of two Long Islanders, Drew Estate has grown into a substantial cigar manufacturing operation with an incredibly wide range of cigars and its own collection of secrets.

On my recent cigar trip to Nicaragua, I hadn't expected to visit Drew Estate. Hell, I'd never heard of it. I knew a few of the brands it produces but never related them back to Drew, simply because they aren't cigars that I smoke. Most of what comes out of Drew Estate is infused, with Acid cigars the most prominent. I don't look down my nose at those who smoke infused (hey, the point is to enjoy whichever cigar you choose), but I simply don't lean that way. Nonetheless, I was excited to see the factory, if only to deepen the experience.

I'm glad I did.

In addition to seeing an impressive cigar operation and learning of a fun travel alternative, I discovered that Drew Estate is also moving into the traditional cigar market, and its fairly new T9 and T52 cigars are certainly worth more than a few puffs. What's really staggering, though, is the planning and execution that goes into running a segmented operation that draws hard lines between the infused and traditional products.

Even with a full, detailed tour of everything from leaf to ash, much of what occurs in Jose "Pepin" Garcia's My Father Cigars operation will remain a mystery. Of course, you'll never master the details involved in farming the tobacco (unless you're in that business already) ... and have a willingness to guide oxen through the fields in lieu of heavy machinery. As you walk through nearly every building in every room in the factory, you will still be constrained by the act that key details are hidden, even if in plain sight. Watch every step in the process used to manufacture My Father, 601, Tatuaje and several other cigar lines, and you'll never have a chance to appreciate the operation as a whole ... and there's a good reason for this.

The creation of any premium cigar always involves a dose of "secret sauce," and Pepin's business is no different. From the farm to the factory, only four people in My Father Cigars know exactly what goes into each stick. Trade secrets are portable, and this knowledge is maintained only by those who have both proven themselves worthy and have a clear business need for the information.

Yet, even if you won't be able to replicate in your basement what Pepin has created, it's still a fascinating process to watch. From La Finca Estrella to the nearby factory and out the door, Pepin's cigar business is a local affair, involving mostly the staff from Esteli, Nicaragua.

The Fine English Company is a recently launched line of luxurious furniture, luggage and lifestyle accessories reminiscent of Britain's colonial past with a contemporary flair, founded by former financial consultant Benedict Wormald. The company was born out of a desire to trade in his City lifestyle in London and turn a lifelong passion for classic British design and antiquities into a business. The Fine English Company's products combine traditional craftsmanship with detailing of exotic animal skins, rare and native woods and veneers to create a range of collectible and desirable objects betokening the best of bespoke British luxury. "I am a great devotee of simplicity and pared down restraint in luxuries," Wormald tells Luxist, "simple items that are executed very well. Luxury to me is not necessarily about adornment or precious materials for vastly inflated prices. I demand a very tactile and aesthetic element from the things I deem to be 'above par'. There is a very definite trend for this that we are seeing in bespoke commissions where people are making much more considered purchases and investing in the construction and execution of the item and not just materials."

Wormald is very passionate about exquisitely made goods and those that are true to the term bespoke, which is increasingly taken in vain. "If you choose to go bespoke from an early age, the lifetime cost is more than borne out in comparison to a larger number of machine made and mass produced brand led products," he notes. "I only wish someone had told me that aged 18! I have Savile Row suits that are as good now at 15 years old as they were new and a good pair of bespoke shoes, a made-to-measure shirt and a bespoke suit will feel more comfortable than any other choice all day and every day - suits only irritate if they don't fit properly and a good suit and shoes will help your posture and the way you comport yourself." Wormald points out that "bespoke need not necessarily be expensive. The power is coming back to the customer to demand something different, something unique to treasure for generations." In the gallery are images of his essential luxuries; continued below you'll find his fulsome explanations about what makes them a must.

For the past couple of years, if you were a Gitanes- or cigar-smoking guest at the Hotel Lutetia you needed to take your hand-wrapped hobby outdoors to enjoy. With the opening of the hotel's Fumoir, that is no longer the case. After celebrating 100 years in service, the Lutetia decided to make the next 100 a little kinder to those who are compelled by the ciggie and corona.

The Fumoir has replaced the hotel's grill room a few steps from the Brasserie, and in an odd bit of nomenclature is known as "The Kitchen" – perhaps because of the stove hood that now serves air extraction duty. Bedecked in the "sun-drenched" colors of Havana but still wit that darkly Parisian ambiance, leather divans and armchairs accompany stained wood fixtures and L'Ernestine, the hotels humidor-cum-artwork that's been out of commission for the dark and unlit years. Finally, if you're in Paris, you're welcome to come back in from la froid.

In 1925 Louis Vuitton created a special trunk in its iconic monogram canvas to house a portable set of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica for the traveling scholar. A later owner adapted the rare item to a more practical purpose, turning it into the world's most stylish portable humidor. The trunk was professionally refitted to house 500 cigars in removable boxes lined with seasoned Spanish cedar along with a removable humidor in burled American walnut. The lid of the trunk has been lined in Spanish cedar as well and inset with decorative burled walnut panels. London's Pullman Gallery is now offering the one-of-a-kind piece for $27,800.

[via Luxury Launches]

Gurkha has a reputation of being the best of the best in the cigar world, and His Majesty's Reserve has the honor of holding the title of world's most expensive cigar. Made from the most expensive cognac and premium tobacco, HMR consists of a secret blend of filler tobaccos from all over the world wrapped in a rare aged Dominican wrapper before being infused with Louis XIII Cognac (the process uses an entire bottle). Less than 100 boxes of His Majesty's Reserve are made each year and getting your hands on one will not only be difficult, but will also cost you $750 per cigar or $15,000 per box.

Via JustLuxe

A stunning bespoke sterling silver traveling cigar set in a leather carrying case made in 1885 for Kaiser Wilhelm II, the last Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, if being offered for sale by London's Pullman Gallery for $85,000. The leather case contains four matching sterling silver cigar boxes, a giant matchbox holder and a set of 10 monogrammed cigar holders. Each piece features an applied gold and red-enameled 'W' with the Royal Prussian crown on the lid, and the cover of each box is also engraved inside with the signature "Victoria", for Wilhelm's mother Princess Victoria (1840-1901), wife of Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, later Emperor Friedrich III. The fitted purple grained leather felt-lined traveling case features an applied gilded bronze Royal Prussian crown and is marked J. Wagner und Sohn, Berlin.